HAMLET — Country music powerhouse Phil Vassar is set to light up the Cole Auditorium next Tuesday when he brings his “25 Years of Paradise Tour” to Hamlet. Known for his energetic performances and heartfelt songwriting, Vassar said he’s eager to return to the stage in a venue style he loves most.
“Theater is a really cool deal. I love theaters … In the theaters, you can be intimate and talk about your songs, talk about your music and that’s the best kind of shows. They’re almost like you’re in your living room. These theaters are great. I love playing them,” said Vassar.
The Virginia native said he’s ready to embrace the change of seasons and connect with fans along the way.
“After fall, you’re ready to tone it down a little bit because you’ve been in the sweat fields all summer. We’re looking forward to it. We’re kicking off in New Hampshire tonight, working our way down south — it’s going to be great!”
Vassar reflected on the song that started it all — his 2000 chart-topping hit “Just Another Day in Paradise” —and how its message still resonates with fans decades later.
“You write these songs and you never know what’s going to happen, how it’s going to be received, so it’s very cool that everybody still talks about this song and the video. It means a lot to us to perform it every night,” Vassar said.
Vassar’s songwriting career has produced hits for some of country music’s most iconic voices. He penned songs for Collin Raye with “Little Red Rodeo,” Alan Jackson with “Right on the Money,” Tim McGraw with “My Next Thirty Years” and “For a Little While” and Jo Dee Messina with “Bye Bye” and “Alright.”
“We’re just lucky that those guys cut your songs because it was a different time back then. With songwriting, you just write songs about your life and then they end up being defining songs for other artists. It’s kind of an odd thing, but you just sort of write your songs, you get it cut, or you record it and then you end up going to the next song. It really keeps things moving. I used to hold songs, I would’ve never gotten cuts or anything if I would’ve done that the whole time— it ended out working out well for me.”
Vassar credits his wide-ranging influences for shaping his distinctive sound.
“Whatever you grow up with, you have a real affinity of that. I grew up listening to tracks by the Beatles, Jackson Brown and Bob Seger, Merle Haggard. My dad was a big Merle Haggard fan. I think of George Jones. I had Country, Pop and Rock. I think 70s was such a great year for music anyway.”
His passion for the craft is as strong as ever.
“I’m excited about playing. It’s going to be a really fun week. It’s going to be crazy, but you know what, it’s exciting to get out there and play,” Vassar said.
Over the years, Vassar has been more than a hitmaker — he’s been a mentor. In 2006, Taylor Swift opened for him at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Detroit, marking her first national tour date.
“She’s great and I love her. I remember the days when she was opening our shows. It was fun. Such a sweetheart,” said Vassar.
Recently, he’s continued that legacy by mentoring fellow Virginia native Matthew Ramsey of Old Dominion. This spring, Vassar will join the band’s “How Good Is That World Tour” across Canada.
“It’s just great we’re getting to go on tour with those guys next year too. It’s just like old home week. It’s cool what they’ve done. They’ve just kind of taken everything. They’re their own band. We’re very proud of them,” said Vassar.
As for what local fans can expect from the Cole Auditorium show, Vassar hopes the energy leaves them wanting more.
“You want them to go ‘when is he coming back?’ That’s what you want because we’ve done so many albums and you don’t get to do all of the songs that you want to do in an hour and a half, two hours, but hopefully next time the songs that you missed you can play the next time when you come back,” Vassar said.
Cole Auditorium Director Joey Bennett said Vassar’s return has been years in the making — and fans are more than ready.
“We’re super excited about it. It’s actually been a little bit of a progression. Several years ago, he and Kellie Pickler released a Christmas song together. Kellie Pickler obviously has a tie to this area in North Carolina, so we were excited to bring her. Phil was a part of the show and he really impressed the audience. Our tech crew really took to him because he was super friendly and really personable,” said Bennett.
That 2020 return date was postponed due to the pandemic, but Bennett said this comeback feels right on time.
“We decided to rebook him a few years later, well, it was the year of COVID. We were supposed to have him in April of 2020. Obviously, that didn’t happen. We had to cancel that concert and we’ve been trying to work a way to get him back in the series and it landed this year. It feels like it’s been something that’s been progressing since 2017,” Bennett said.
For Bennett, like many in the community, Vassar’s music has long been part of the soundtrack of life in Richmond County.
“I grew up on Phil’s music myself. I grew up on country music, this area loves country music,” said Bennett.